If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.

- George Washington

Monday, 6 July 2009

Motorcycling Quotes

Yes, yes, I know that should be 'quotations', but time is money, and money is in short supply, so I am looking for opportunities to abbreviate.

The last post (heh) was a bit depressing (and the next few will be equally so), so I thought I would cheer the blog up with some quotes about motorcycling which have amused me or made me go "rather, old chap." Many quotes seem to come from the States and concern Harleys (which is not of great interest to most UK bikers) or have a cheesy religious overtone, and I have left these out. The ones that passed the GFAGN filter are:

Four wheels move the body. Two wheels move the soul.

This is my all-time favourite, and I have it inscribed on my iPod. However, another biking blogger - see list on the right - has already got it as his blog header, so I uncharacteristically restrained myself from using it.

Bikes don't leak oil, they mark their territory.

A good rider has balance, judgment, and good timing. So does a good lover.

Young riders pick a destination and go... Old riders pick a direction and go.

Always back your bike into the kerb, and sit where you can see it.

Ride to work and work to ride.

The best alarm clock is sunshine on chrome.

A friend is someone who'll get out of bed at 2 am to drive his pickup to the middle of nowhere to get you when you're broken down.

Only a Biker knows why a dog sticks his head out of a car window.

Old bikes don't leak oil - they ooze character.

I'd rather be riding my motorcycle thinking about God than sitting in church thinking about my motorcycle.

98% of all Harleys ever sold are still on the road. The other 2% made it home.

If you don't have bugs in your teeth, you haven't been grinning enough!

You only need two tools: WD40 and duct tape. If it doesn't move and it should, use WD40. If it moves and it shouldn't, use duct tape.

There's the V4 thing: there's just something about it that inline 4s don't have, and V-twins have too much of.You start the game with a full pot of luck and an empty pot of experience ... The object is to fill the pot of experience before you empty the pot of luck.

Never trade the thrills of living for the security of existence.

Panniers can never hold everything you want, but they CAN hold everything you need.

Home is where your bike sits still long enough to leave a few drops of oil on the ground.

Don't ride so late into the night that you sleep through the sunrise.

Sometimes it takes a whole tankful of fuel before you can think straight.

Never hesitate to ride past the last street light at the edge of town.

If you don't ride in the rain you don't ride.

Well trained reflexes are quicker than luck.

If the person in the next lane at the stoplight rolls up the window and locks the door, support their view of life by snarling at them.

If you ride like there's no tomorrow there won't be.

Grey-haired riders don't get that way from pure luck.

Always replace the cheapest parts first.

People are more violently opposed to fur than leather because it's safer to harass rich women than motorcycle gangs.

Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming, 'Wow! What a Ride!'

You don't stop riding because you're getting old, you get old when you stop riding.

I can remember the time when sex was safe and motorcycles were dangerous.

God didn't create metal so that man could make paper clips.

I ride a bike because travelling in a car is like having sex with your trousers on.

In a world with 20,000 television channels ...... get as far away from it as you can.